1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a method and apparatus for treating organic waste material, such as garbage and converting the organic waste material for other purposes, such as fertilizer or a soil enhancer to replace humus in depleted soil.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The most common procedure for dealing with organic waste material, such as garbage, is to empty the garbage into a landfill area in successive layers, with each layer being covered with a layer of topsoil or dirt. Eventually, the area in the landfill for the receipt of garbage becomes exhausted and a cap of soil is placed over the landfill.
More recently, experiments have taken place with cogeneration plants in which the garbage is burned in an enclosed receptacle, the theory and idea being that the burning of the garbage will generate sufficient heat to generate steam for other uses.
The Applicant has developed a method and apparatus for transforming the organic waste material in the form of garbage into a soil enhancer as fertilizer. Applicant's invention relies upon the use of naturally generated bacteria which convert the organic waste material into the soil enhancer or fertilizer.
Composters have been utilized by individuals for many years to convert organic waste material into fertilizer or fill through the use of bacteria, but the shortcomings with most composters are that they are a batch system which does not present the optimum amount of air and the optimum temperature for completing the process in an expeditious amount of time.
Applicant's invention is based upon the theory of composters, but Applicant has designed the apparatus to work in a continuous or intermittent process as desired, but having the capability to agitate the organic waste matter and control the temperature within the organic waste matter in order to obtain optimum operating environment conditions and the desired cyclic rate.
The prior art, and in particular, U.S. Pat. No. 3,114,622 discloses a continuous or intermittent digester utilizing substantially vertically depending augers or screws to agitate the organic waste matter within a container. The shortcoming with respect to this system is that the augers or screws have a tendency to gather or accumulate the organic waste material about the axis of the auger or screw, thus defeating its purpose in fully agitating the organic waste matter. Applicant has improved upon this design with an agitation means which will cause the positive dislocation and hence agitation of the organic waste material; redistribute the organic waste material continuously from the lower portion of the housing to the upper portion of the housing; and, simultaneously urge the organic waste material from the outer circumference of the housing where the untreated organic waste material is introduced, towards the center of the housing where the fully decomposed organic waste material, now in the form of clean fill or fertilizer, is discharged. Applicant's agitation means further aides in the propulsion of the agitation means carriage in a circular motion within the housing to ensure the full and optimum agitation of the organic waste material contained therein.